A simple recipe blog

LA and Fish Tacos

2011-06-07T12:18:00.000-05:00

photo by sara tady ©

Well, we have officially arrived in LA! I haven't done much cooking yet- who can beat a $5, fresh, delicious fish taco lunch off one of LA's many food trucks? Pair that with a Jarritos...talk about yum!

Curried Rice and Snap Peas

2011-05-16T09:38:00.001-05:00

photo by sara tady ©

I'm not a big fan of leftovers. Who wants to eat the same thing 2 nights in a row? A few weeks ago a made this delicious Beef and Broccoli. I saved half the rice and peas for a round two recipe the next night. This had a completely different spin that brought us over to India in a matter of a few minutes.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of basmati rice

a handful of snap peas

1 tbsp of Curry powder

1/2 tbsp of Cumin

2 scallions chopped

Directions:

1. Heat up the rice and snap peas in a sauce pan, or skillet, whatever you have. If rice is dry, add a tablespoon of water.

2. Combine curry, cumin and scallions. Mix well.

3. Serve with traditional Indian bread, naan. I get mine in the freezer section at Trader Joe's.

Ricotta Gnocchi with Homemade Marinara

2011-05-09T09:46:00.001-05:00

photo by sara tady ©

My husband and I LOVE gnocchi. I was always under the impression it would be nearly impossible to make. WRONG! It turns out it's one of the most simple things ever. I made mine with ricotta cheese instead of the traditional potato gnocchi. I'm going to try the potato version another time. This was so easy and it was ready in under 30 minutes. Crazy! I accompanied it with a simple marinara which I ALWAYS make myself. I served this with a simple mixed green salad. Here's how to do it:

Ingredients:

1 small container of full fat ricotta cheese

3/4 cup or so of flour

1 tbsp of garlic salt

1 egg

1 can of chopped or crushed tomatoes (I use fire roasted)

1 small can of tomato sauce

1 clove of garlic, grated/chopped finely

1/2 cup of finely chopped onion

Fresh basil

1 tsp of red pepper flake

salt and pepper

Directions:

Gnocchi:

1. In a medium bowl, combine about half the container of ricotta cheese, flour, egg and garlic salt. Mix into a dough. Add more flour if need be, but not too much! Careful not to over-mix.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt.

3. Sprinkle some flour onto counter/ cutting board. Place the dough on top of flour and divide into 4 sections.

4. Roll each section of dough into long strips - about the thickness of a bread stick

5. Starting from 1 end, cut the dough strips into 1 inch noodles. I made the imprints of a fork into each one of mine to help the sauce stick.

6. Drop into boiling water and cook for about 3 minutes. The noodles will float to the top when they are done. Strain.

Marinara Sauce:

1. In a medium skillet, add a bit of olive oil, garlic, red pepper flake and onion to low-medium heat. Saute.

2. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Go ahead and sprinkle in any dried herbs (parsley, oregano).

Combine cooked gnocchi and marinara sauce. Top with fresh basil.

Orecchiette Pasta with Pancetta, Peas and Pecorino

2011-05-02T09:26:00.000-05:00

photo by sara tady ©

Wow it's been busy! A trip to Jamaica, planning for a move across country and starting a new role at work has lead me to neglect my blog, let alone cook! Here's a delicious and very rich pasta for you. It was inspired by something I had at Gilt Bar.

Ingredients:

1 cup of orecchiette pasta

2 1/2 inch slices of Pancetta from the deli counter

3/4 cup of shredded/grated Pecorino cheese

3/4 cup of frozen peas

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt, add pasta

2. Dice the pancetta into little pieces

3. In a medium/large skillet, add diced pancetta and brown until crispy.

4. When the pancetta is browned and crispy, add the strained pasta and frozen peas to the skillet.

5. Top with grated cheese and a little freshly ground pepper.

Peanut Butter, Strawberry Jam and Banana Crepes

2011-04-06T07:38:00.003-05:00

photo by sara tady ©

A couple weekends ago I was dying for something sweet for breakfast. I had almost all the ingredients on hand (besides whole milk!) and I followed this recipe from one of my favorite TV chefs. I substituted bananas for blueberries and also whipped some cream- which is a must! I didn't use a blender, either. Just mixed it by hand. It was so simple and delicious, I just had to share. Try this the next time you make breakfast!

Beef and Broccoli

2011-04-03T20:32:00.000-05:00

photo by sara tady ©

This week we got crimini mushrooms, snap peas and broccolini in our produce delivery. I figured this was a good opportunity to whip up some takeout worthy chinese. I'm not a huge Chinese food fan- usually opting for Thai food any day. I was, however, really surprised how good this turned out. There's more than a few ingredients here, but they are all affordable! There's also more steps than I'm used to taking after a long day. Nothing is difficult but be prepared for about 45 minutes start to finish. Totally worth it. Here's how you can do it too:

Ingredients:
1 cup Basmati Rice (or regular white rice)
4 scallions- chopped
2 clove of garlic- chopped/grated
2 tbsp of fresh ginger- chopped/grated
2 tbsp of canola oil
2 handfuls of snap peas- end removed
About a cup of broccoli flourets/ broccolini
1 steak filet (or whatever you have)
A couple dashes of Soy sauce
1 tbsp of Sambal Oelek (can be found in the asian foods section for about $2)

Directions:
1. In a ziplock bag, place steak, half of the chopped garlic, half of the chopped ginger, a quarter of the scallions, a few dashes of soy sauce, and 1 tsp of Sambal Oelek. Let marinate for 30 mins.....or however long it takes to prep everything else. The longer this marinates, the better. Trust me, this is reaaallly tasty!
2. In a sauce pan, add 1 cup rice and 2 cups water. Bring to boil, then reduce with lid on until water is absorbed.
3. In a large skillet, add canola oil, the rest of the scallions, garlic and ginger. Let simmer on low-med. Add mushrooms.
4. Throw the steak on a hot grill, or grill pan. I like my steak medium. Adjust cooking times to your liking. Let steak rest for about 5 minutes after taking off a hot grill.
5. Place broccoli and snap peas in a medium bowl. Cover with water- microwave for 3-4 minutes. Strain and drop into the skillet with the scallions, garlic and ginger.
6. Add a couple dashes of soy sauce and a spoonful of Sambal Oelek. Careful- this stuff is spicy. Adjust as you see fit!
7. Serve over a big scoop of rice.

Chicken Salad Sandwich and Dijon Potato Salad

2011-04-01T09:00:00.002-05:00

photo by sara tady ©

About a week or so ago, we had an amazing few days of weather. My husband and I high-tailed it to Tango Sur on a Wednesday night to share a bottle of wine and dine on the patio. I wasn't really feeling steak, so I did something a little unorthodox...I ordered the roasted half chicken. Needless to say, it was deeeee-lish. I wrapped up the leftover chicken and made what my husband claimed was "the best sandwich he's ever had" for lunch. That might be a stretch, but either way, it was VERY tasty and this lunch really got us in the mood for summer! There's hundreds of ways to make chicken salad, here's mine:

Chicken Salad Ingredients:

Shredded Chicken (I almost always use chicken from a previous night's dinner)

1 tbsp of dried dill

1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

1-2 tbsps of fresh chopped chives (or green onion)

lots of freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup mayo

optional- 1/4 cup cranberries

Directions:

Mix together! Done! Serve on sourdough bread with greens and cheese- my favorite with chicken salad is dill-havarti.

Potato Salad Ingredients:

Halved fingerling or red potatoes- skin on

2 tbsp of dijon mustard

3 tbsp of red wine vinegar

1 tbsp of dried dill

1tbsp of chopped parsley

salt and pepper

Instructions:

1) drop potatoes into pot BEFORE bringing to a boil. Salt water

2) In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients

3) Strain when potatoes are fork tender (this means when you stick a fork in them, they slip off) Be careful to not overcook.

4) Combine with the dressing and chill.

Easy Apple "Pie"

2011-03-29T16:32:00.000-05:00

photo by sara tady ©

Who has time to make homemade apple pie? Not this girl. I've been cheating with this method for a few years. It's all the simple ingredients and flavors with a little help from the store and not a lot of time. If you can slice an apple, you can make this :)

Ingredients:

2 apples (granny smith, golden delicious, macintosh-whatever you have!)

1 store bought pie crust

2 tbsp of sugar

1 tbsp of cinnamon

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees & thaw pie crust

2. Slice apples. Here's how, just make sure to slice them MUCH thinner as shown above.

3. Roll out the thawed dough onto a greased baking sheet

4. Place chopped apples in the center. Add sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest and juice. Mix together.

5. Fold up the edges toward the center. Sprinkle some sugar on top.

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until everything is golden and your house smells like apple pie.

Chicken Tenders and Sweet Potato Fries

2011-03-23T09:00:00.001-05:00

photo by sara tady ©

The other night I got home and we didn't have much of anything for dinner. I wasn't feeling that creative so I stuck to the basics. Should I also mention I've been on a serious junk food kick lately? Oh well, here's a grown up version of a Happy Meal :)

Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breasts

2 Sweet Potatoes

1 egg

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 tbsp dijon mustard (optional)

dipping sauces (optional)

Directions:

1) preheat oven to 400 degrees

2) chop sweet potatoes length-wise into about half inch thick "fries"

3) place on a baking sheet, drizzle extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper OR brown sugar if you like them sweet

4) pop these into the oven to get them going

5) get 3 bowls. into each bowl goes the flour, bread crumbs and egg + dijon, separately

6) cut the chicken breasts into 1-1/2 thick strips, season with salt and pepper

7) here goes the breading. dip strips into the egg batter, then into the flour, then back into the egg again, then into the bread crumbs. got it? egg, flour, egg, bread crumbs :)

8) place tenders on a baking sheet (I pulled the fries out, gave them a good toss and placed the chicken on the same baking sheet)

9) pop everything into the oven for about 20 minutes until golden

Portobello Mushrooms with Red Wine Reduction

2011-03-20T13:36:00.001-05:00

We got these beauties in our produce mix this week. I make mushrooms this way as salad toppings, a side, mixed in pasta or a delicious topping to a steak or chicken. They are SO flavorful! I absolutely love these. Cooking with wine can be intimidating at first, but trust me, it's nothing! Open up a bottle of red wine, pour yourself a glass and get ready to eat in 10 minutes. You will feel like a gourmet chef after this!

photo by sara tady ©

Ingredients:
Portobello or Crimini Mushrooms (wiped clean with a damp paper towel-do not run under water!)
Red wine
Butter
Salt and Pepper

Instructions:
1) Melt about about 1 tbsp of butter in a non-stick pan. Medium heat.
2) Drop sliced, unseasoned portobellos or whole crimini mushroom caps in pan to saute 3 minutes. Do not touch or mix around.
3) Flip over, salt and pepper. 2 minutes
4) Pour about 1/4-1/2 cup of red wine into pan. Let reduce for 1-2 minutes until wine reduces or becomes absorbed.

photo by sara tady ©

Blueberry turnover with Homemade Whipped Cream

2011-03-15T09:12:00.011-05:00

photo by sara tady ©

I made this great salmon chowder a few weeks ago- here's the dessert I made to go along with it. This is SO easy and you can make it with any berries you like or even sliced apples (just add some cinnamon)! A perfect ending to a classic east coast dinner.

Ingredients:

1 sheet of puff pastry (found in the frozen section)

1 package of blueberries

Zest of half a lemon

Sugar

whipping cream

1 egg white (optional)

vanilla extract (optional)

Directions:

1) Place half the blueberries in a small bowl. Sprinkle 3 spoons of sugar on top and mash with a fork. Zest half a lemon into the bowl. Go ahead and squeeze a little lemon juice in there too.

2) Roll out the thawed puff pastry on a greased/non stick baking sheet. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

3) Spread the mashed blueberry mixture as well as the remaining blueberries on ONE HALF of the pastry dough. (You'll be folding this in half into a triangle shape, from 1 corner to the other) Leave a 1 inch gap between the blueberries and the edge.

4) Fold in half and press the dough closed with a fork.

5) Cut a little 1 inch cross into the top to allow air to escape

6) Brush egg white on top and sprinkle with sugar

7) Bake for 12-13 minutes until golden brown.

Homemade Whipped Cream

Pour 1/2 cup to a cup of whipping cream in a medium sized bowl. Sprinkle in 2 spoonfuls of sugar and a 1/2 capful of vanilla extract. With a whisk, beat it continuously until it becomes whipped cream. It will take about 3 minutes. Trust me, it's worth the elbow grease! (if you own a mixer- go ahead and use that if you want).

photo by sara tady ©

Veggie Pot Pie

2011-03-14T10:06:00.021-05:00

photo by sara tady ©

I made a vegetable soup a few weeks ago and froze about half. This is sooo easy and will bring you back to your childhood. All you have to do is heat up the soup, make a simple roux, and bake the flaky topping. Virtually no prep and dinner will be on the table, or in my case, breakfast bar, in less than 30 minutes. So simple and you'll feel like a pro!

Ingredients:

leftover soup- already cooked

5 tbsp of flour

4 tbsp of butter

1 1/2 cans of chicken stock

1 sheet of puff pastry

1/2 cup of cream or milk

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400.

2) Unfold the puff pastry sheet. Trace the top of your serving dish with a knife, cutting through. (Save the excess!!!) Pop into the oven for 13 minutes or so.

3) In a non-stick skillet, make the roux using the above measurements.

4) Mix in the leftover soup and the 1/2 cup of cream or milk.

5) Pour into serving dish and top with the flaky puff pastry.

Bonus Dessert:
Cinnamon-Sugar Twists

photo by sara tady ©

Directions:

Cut the leftover pastry dough into 1 inch strips. Brush with some melted butter, sprinkle on cinnamon, sugar and twist. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes. You can bake these at the same time as your pot-pie topping!

Leeks

2011-03-10T19:09:00.000-06:00

photo by sara tady ©

I love cooking with leeks. They have a mild onion-like taste and are a perfect substitution for regular onions. Typically, you'll only want to use the white portion of the stalk. Here's how to prep leeks:

1) cut in half length-wise

2) chop into thin slices (pictured above)

3) drop into a bowl filled with water. Give the leeks a good swirl. Leeks are grown in sand which get in between the layers. You don't want to skip this step unless you like sand in your dish :)

photo by sara tady ©

Pesto Pasta

2011-03-10T13:48:00.003-06:00

photo by sara tady ©

Remember the almond arugula pesto I made? Here's what I did with it :)

salted some boiling water, cooked some pasta, drained, stirred in the pesto, served with roasted red peppers. done! tomatoes would have been key here, I just didn't have any! enjoy!

Grilled Pizza with Roasted Tomatoes and Arugula

2011-03-08T09:39:00.001-06:00

photo by sara tady ©

Every once in a while I make something my husband coins as "special". This was one of those things. Super simple yet super gourmet.

photo by sara tady ©

Ingredients:
Pizza Dough- I used the garlic herb dough from Trader Joe's
Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella
Arugula
2 Tomatoes
Pizza sauce/ Marinara

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400.
2) Slice tomatoes thin. Salt and pepper both sides. Drizzle with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and into oven for 15 minutes
3) Roll out (or stretch out like I do) the dough. Use flour if needed. Place directly onto a hot grill for 4 minutes and then flip for 3 minutes. If you don't have a grill you can use your oven just put it on a baking sheet. It won't be as good though, fair warning :)
4) Spoon pizza sauce on the most undercooked side (should be the second side) then layer on cheese, tomatoes and whatever dried herbs you like. I used oregano, red pepper flake and parsley. I also happened to have a block of Pecorino in the fridge so I shaved some on top-such a bonus!
5) Put back on the grill for another 3 minutes or so.
6) Take out and top with arugula.

How to make a Roux

2011-03-07T11:49:00.003-06:00

I've had a few people ask me for more "how-tos" so I thought I'd start with this :)

A "roux" (pronounced "roo") is a fancy french term that basically means the combination of flour and fat (typically butter). This is how you thicken sauces, gravy, soup and stews. It's VERY simple and once you master it, you can make all types of sauces. Here's how:

Melt butter in a pan

photo by sara tady ©

Sprinkle in equal parts flour and vigorously stir to eliminate any clumps.

photo by sara tady ©

Allow the butter and flour to cook together 2-3 minutes. The longer you let this cook, the deeper the color and the richer the flavor. And that's it!

photo by sara tady ©

Asian Smorgasbord

2011-03-04T10:38:00.000-06:00

A couple weekends ago we were lucky enough to host some of our favorite people for dinner and drinks before we headed out on the town. Instead of putting together the standard appetizers, beer, and wine, I decided to have an asian inspired feast. I completely cheated and took 100% help from the store as well as some of our favorite restaurants. My friends brought over an assortment of Japanese beers as well as Sake. Everything was delicious and the fortune cookies provided some friendly banter. Try this out the next time you're hosting!

photo by sara tady ©

An assortment of sushi rolls from Lip's on Southport.

photo by sara tady ©

Edamame from the freezer section- steamed and salted

photo by sara tady ©

Korean Tacos

Kimchi from Del Seoul

Grilled beef short ribs with toasted sesame seeds

photo by sara tady ©

Pork Potstickers and Chicken Cilantro dumlings from Trader Joes

photo by sara tady ©

Fortune Cookies- you can get a box of these at the grocery store :)

Roasted Broccoli Side Dish

2011-03-01T11:54:00.001-06:00

photo by sara tady ©

Forget what you know about broccoli. Especially if what you know is steamed broccoli. Eeek.

Roasting broccoli is SO simple, takes 7-8 minutes, and it tastes 100% better! The good news is you probably have all the ingredients on hand. This is not your mother's broccoli :)

Ingredients:
1 head of broccoli
1 clove of garlic- chopped/grated
extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
red pepper flake
sesame seeds (optional)
salt/pepper

Directions:
1) pre heat oven to 400 degrees
2) cut the heads of broccoli loose from the stalk (trim from the stalk, not the head. This keeps the florets in tact)
3) throw the broccoli on a baking sheet, add the garlic, salt, pepper, sprinkle on some red pepper flake, drizzle some evoo and use your hands to mix together.
4) pop it into the oven for about 7 minutes. Sprinkle on the sesame seed for the last minute or so.

Enjoy!

Salmon Chowder with Garlic Bread

2011-02-27T18:27:00.000-06:00

photo by sara tady ©

Happy Academy Awards night! I love when there's something fun to watch on Sunday nights! I made this chowder earlier today and now it's time to dig in while watching the stars walk the red carpet :) This is super easy! You could always sub in clams for a traditional clam chowder. There's quite a few ingredients in this, but don't be too intimidated- they are all very affordable!

Ingredients:

2 boxes of Chicken Stock

3 chopped golden potatoes

3 cloves of chopped garlic

1 bag of frozen corn

1 large leek (or 2 small ones) (you can use 1 medium onion instead)

2 stalks of celery

2 salmon filets (enough to serve 2 adults)

1/2 of a small carton of Half and Half

1/2 stick of butter

1tbsp of red pepper flake

2 heaping tbsp of fresh, chopped dill

1-2 tbsp of chopped parsley

1 tbsp of chopped chive

4 spoonfuls of flour

1 bay leaf (optional)

olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions:

1) Place salmon on a baking sheet, salt and pepper both sides. Place into a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

2) Coat the bottom of a large pot with olive oil- low to medium heat. Drop in chopped leeks, celery, garlic, red pepper flake and 1 whole bay leaf. Salt and pepper. Saute together until vegetables are soft.

3) Drop half stick of butter into pot. Let melt. Sprinkle 4 spoonfuls of flour on top of vegetables. Whisk everything together. Continue to whisk every 10 seconds or so for the next 3 minutes.

4) Slowly pour in about 1/4 of the vegetable stock. Whisk vigorously until clumps are dissolved. Add the rest of the box as well as the 2nd box.

5) Drop in the chopped potatoes. Put the lid on and turn the heat up. Let the potatoes cook until they are fork tender.

6) Remove the bay leaf.

7) Stir in Half and Half and the entire bag of corn. Reduce heat to low.

8) With a fork, carefully break the salmon into 1 inch bites. Drop into the chowder. Stir slowly.

9) Drop in chive, dill and parsley.

Garlic Bread

Toast a piece of artisan french baguette under the broiler. As soon as you remove it, rub the open end of a garlic clove across the entire surface. Drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle a little parsley on top. That's it!

Crock Pot Beef Stew

2011-02-22T11:07:00.000-06:00

While I was in Mexico with my girlfriends, my guy must have been jonsing for something homemade. I walked in after a long flight to the crock pot on and a hearty stew for dinner. Here's a shout out to Chad as well as a satisfying crock pot stew ANYONE can make. Seriously, if you have a crock pot and a knife you're 90% there. Make this for your guy and he will think you are the bomb.com.

Ingredients:

3/4 onion medium sized chopped (large chunks work best for slow cooked stews)

1 celery stalk -about a 1 inch chop

1 large carrot - about a 1 inch chop

1-2 potatoes - depending on size- chopped

1 lb or so of boneless Beef Chuck or "Stew Beef"- cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 cup of frozen peas

1 packet of McCormick's Beef Stew season packet (it hurts me to recommend a season packet but this is supposed to be reallllllly easy, right?)

Directions:

1) chop all vegetables and drop into the crock pot (besides peas)

2) add chopped beef on top of veggies

3) sprinkle in the season packet and add water as specified on packet

4) turn crock pot to med and let 'er rip for 8 hours

5) before serving, stir in 1/2 cup frozen peas (these only need about 3-4 mins to heat up)

6) serve with some parsley to freshen it up

Tip! I like to prep all this the night before and keep in the fridge over night. Before I leave for work I pull it out and turn the crock pot to medium. When I get home, the stew is waiting for me. So simple. Seriously.

Almond Arugula Pesto

2011-02-19T13:46:00.002-06:00

Who doesn't love pesto? Pesto is usually something I keep on hand in the fridge for quick additions to pasta, sandwiches and I even add a spoonful to my eggs. I had a beautiful bunch of arugula from our vegetable box and a bag of almonds. I figured I'd try a spin on the typical basil pesto. It was delish! Feel free to substitute basil for the arugula and pine nuts for the almonds if you'd like to make your own traditional pesto.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of arugula

a couple handfuls of toasted almonds (1/3 cup)-toast for a couple minutes in a pan on the stove

1 garlic clove- chopped (2 cloves if you're a garlic lover)

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

1/4 cup parmesan/ romano cheese

salt/pepper

Directions:

1) In a blender/food processor, drop in arugula, almonds, chopped garlic, parmesan cheese, pepper

2) drizzle in some evoo, put the top on and pulse. Drizzle in more evoo until the consistency is "sauce-like". Blend until smooth.

3) taste for saltiness, add salt if necessary.

Easy Vinaigrette

2011-02-16T19:10:00.001-06:00

Most people who know me know I love, love salad dressing and always order extra. Here's the easy vinaigrette I make almost every night at home. I never use store bought dressings, have you seen the ingredients in those? Yikes!

Ingredients:

white wine vinegar (you can also use lemon, white balsamic, red wine or balsamic)

extra virgin olive oil

dijon mustard

salt & pepper

Directions:

In a small ramekin or bowl, add 1 tsp of dijon mustard, several pinches of salt and pepper, and 1 part vinegar or lemon. Whisk together. Keep whisking and stream in 2 parts olive oil. Whisk until blended and season to taste. I tend to like mine more on the vinegar side, so please adjust as you see fit :)

No Fuss Appetizer Platter

2011-02-09T18:28:00.001-06:00

Hosting cocktail and dinner parties is one of my favorite things. One of the things i've learned is how to take the pressure off by serving no-cook appetizers. Here's one I made a couple weeks ago for a cocktail party. Hopefully mine will get your wheels turning for your next party!

Ingredients:

3 Varieties of Cheese (I used a creamy bleu, an herbed goat, and a smoky gouda)

a handful of dried fruits (I use cranberries and apricots)

a package of Salami- hot calabrese is my favorite

a bunch of green grapes

a handful of green olives

a handful of sweet or spicy nuts

a sweet fruit preserve is a bonus for the bleu cheese

hummus - my favorites are Sabra or Cedar's Home

Carrots or another veggie for the hummus

pita chips or crackers for the cheeses

Enjoy!

Vegetable Soup

2011-02-02T18:28:00.000-06:00

Brrrr! The Blizzard of 2011 left me stranded inside today so I whipped up a big pot of soup with the vegetables I had on hand. Here's what I used, but please, there are no limits on what you could come up with.

Ingredients:

1 Box of Chicken stock (I use Organic and Free Range)

2 potatoes, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 half yellow onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 large, peeled rutabaga (this came in my box of produce)

8 large leaves of Kale, roughly chopped

1 cup of whole wheat Rotini pasta

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1) chop all vegetables in roughly the same size- this is key for even cook times :)

2) coat the bottom of a large pot with a thin layer of olive oil, low-med heat

3) drop all vegetables into the pot and simmer, add a liberal amt of salt and pepper - 8-10 minutes

4) add the chicken stock to the pot, turn heat to med, put the lid on, let simmer for another 10 mins

5) in a separate pot, bring water to a boil, salt and drop in pasta- 8 minutes

6) after the noodles are cooked, strain, and drop into the soup

7) salt/ pepper to taste- feel free to drop in other dried herbs you have on your spice rack (think parsley, oregano, thyme, etc)

Easy Crab Cake Patties

2011-01-22T12:57:00.000-06:00

Who doesn't love crab cakes? It seems like the only time we enjoy these tasty treats are at the cocktail hour of our friend's weddings. They are surprisingly simple to make at home. Don't be too intimidated by the ingredient list. You probably have most of these items at home. The step-by-step isn't complex. Give 'em a try!

Ingredients:

2 cans of lump crab meat- picked free of shells

1/2 cup of crushed crackers or bread crumbs

3 finely chopped green onions
1/4 finely chopped red pepper (totally optional)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1tbsp dijon mustard
Worcestershire sauce (a couple dashes)
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 egg
1tsp cayenne pepper or your favorite Creole spice mix (think Zatarain's)
Flour for dusting
Canola oil or peanut oil for frying

Directions:
step 1: In a mixing bowl, combine all the above ingredients besides flour and oil. If mixture seems really wet, feel free to add a bit more cracker/bread crumbs
step 2: Form patties into 2 to 3 inch rounds
step 3: In a large, non-stick skillet, heat about 1/2 cup of oil (this is a shallow fry, not deep fry) on medium heat
step 4: place roughly a 1/2 cup flour onto a plate, flour both sides of the crab patties
step 5: drop patties into HOT oil. How do you know when the oil is hot? Take the opposite end of a wooden spoon and place into the oil. Do you see little bubbles form around the spoon? If so, your oil is ready!
step 5: Fry until golden brown (4 minutes or so) flip and fry other side (3-4 minutes)

Easy dipping sauce:
Combine 1/4 cup mayo, 1 tsp Zatarain's, and the juice from the other half of your lemon.

Enjoy!